Control means for textile machines



March 17, 1964 Q 5, ADAMS ETAL 3,124,843

CONTROL MEANS FOR TEXTILE MACHINES Filed Oct. 25, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTORS CECIL $.ADAMS. WALTER A.DEAN & y zoas: w. MARTIN ATTORNEYMarch 17, 1964 c. s. ADAMS ETAL 3,124,843

CONTROL MEANS FOR TEXTILE MACHINES Filed Oct. 25, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTORS Cecn. s. ADAMS, WALTER A.DEAN 4; BY GEDRGE W. MARTlN ATTORNEYMarch 17, 1964 c. s. ADAMS ETAL 3,124,843

CONTROL MEANS FOR TEXTILE MACHINES Filed Oct. 25, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 3LIMIT $W)TCH INVENTORS CECIL s. ADAMS. ELECTROYNIC WALTER A. DEAN E 77-A 5 B ezoasa w. MART\N C I3 9. 10. 2 B ATTORNEY United States PatentCUNTROL MEANS FOR TEXTILE MAQHINES Cecil S. Adams, Saluda Lake,Greenville, Walter A. Dean,

Greenviiie, and George W. Martin, Ware Shoals, S.C.,

assignors to Adams, Inc., Greeuville, 5.52., a corporation of SouthCarolina Filed Oct. 25, 1961, Ser. No. 147,582 6 Claims. (Cl. 19.25)

This invention relates to control means for textile machines havingmotor driving means, a supply of moving strands being fed from a creelover a lifting roll to a drafting system, and moving strands being fedfrom the drafting system to packaging means.

The invention is particularly adapted for use with roving frames and thelike. The invention contemplates the use of strand actuated detectingmeans sensing the absence or excessive slackness of the strands. Certainof such detecting means are illustrated as being of the type shown inUnited States Patent No. 2,754,653, issued to Simpson J. Adams on July17, 1956. Suitable means for deactivating the circuit of the detectingmeans just prior to periods of reversal of the traversing carriage, thusincurring that the textile machine is not carried by momentum or inertiato an undesired stopping point illustrated in United States Patent No.2,658,326, issued to Simpson J. Adams on November 10, 1953.

Stop motion control means of various types are presently in use onroving frames and the like, but few relate to detecting means for sliverrun-out, and those who do have not proved effective. No effectivecontrol means have been provided to signal sliver run-out and rovingfaults separately.

Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to provide aneffective means of preventing sliver run-out on roving frames.

Another important object of this invention is to provide control meansfor roving frames and the like indicating which side of the draftingsystem broken or slack ends occur.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel controlmeans for stopping a roving frame and the like promptly upon theoccurrence of faulty sliver on the creel side of the drafting system.

Another object of the invention is the provision of improved detectingmeans for actuating means stopping a roving frame responsive to faultysliver which will not damage the sliver during normal operation.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of effectivecontrol means stopping a roving frame responsive to the action of brokensliver upon detecting means which do not contact the sliver duringnormal operation.

Another important object is to provide means indicating to operators ofroving frames and the like whether faulty conditions occur in the sliveror in the roving and to stop the frame responsive to either conditionwithout contacting the sliver during normal operation.

The construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafterdescribed, together with other features thereof.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of thefollowing specification and by reference to the accompanying drawingsforming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown andwherein:

FIGURE 1 is a transverse sectional elevation illustrating a roving frameequipped with control means constructed in accordance with the presentinvention,

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view looking toward the rear of the draftingsystem further illustrating control means constructed in accordance withthe present invention,

FIGURE 3 is a plan view, with parts removed, illustrating a switch foruse with the control means of the present invention,

FIGURE 4 is a transverse sectional elevation illustrating a modifiedform of the invention,

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view illustrating the modified form of theinvention shown in FIGURE 4,

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view looking toward the rear of the draftingsystem illustrating another modified form of the invention,

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view looking toward the rear of the draftingsystem illustrating another modified form of the invention,

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view looking toward the rear of the draftingsystem illustrating still another modified form of the invention,

FIGURE 9 is a schematic circuit diagram illustrating the variouselectrical connections and components used in a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, and

FIGURE 10 is a modified circuit diagram illustrating the variouselectrical connections and components used in another preferredembodiment of the present invention.

A roving frame is illustrated (FIGURE 1) as having a frame 143 includinga roll beam 11 with front and rear vertical flanges 11a and 11b. A rollstand 12 is mounted upon the breast beam 11. The roll stand 12 carriesthe drafting system which includes a number of drafting rolls 13 forattenuating the sliver and the like fed thereto. In operation, sliver Sis fed from the sliver cans 14, over the lifting roll 15 and into thetrumpet 16, from whence it is fed into the drafting system between therolls 13. The strand, in the form of roving R, coming from draftingrolls is wound by flyers 17 upon bobbins 18 to form roving packages 19.It is preferable that a stop motion A of the type illustrated in UnitedStates Patent No. 2,754,653 be mounted upon the roll beam front flangeIla.

FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 illustrate an embodiment of the invention in whichthe sensing means B includes a drop wire 20 having a pivoted support 21at its lower end. The drop Wire 29 is normally slightly inclined fromthe vertical and rests against the sliver S adjacent its upper end. Thepivoted support is in the form of a shaft journaled in a substantiallyclosed casing 22 having a cover 22a and a back 22b. The drop wire 20 maybe thus biased to fall in a given direction upon the occurrence of afaulty sliver but the pressure normally exerted upon the sliver isinsufficient to damage same.

The shaft 21 carries a movable contact 23 which has electrical contactthrough a strip 24 with a conductor in the form of a bus bar 25. Thestrip 24 has a projection 24a extending through the back 2211 to contactthe bus bar 25 and one end of the shaft 21 is journaled in that portionof the strip within the casing. A fixed contact 26 is provided Withinthe casing in the form of a plate which has connection by a projection26a extending through the casing to have contact with a bus bar 27. Theshaft 21 has a recess 21a intermediate its ends to avoid contact withthe fixed contact 26 during normal operation. The bus bars arepreferably mounted upon an insulating strip 28 by screws 29 which alsoposition the cover 22a upon the back 221). The shaft 21 projectsoutwardly of the casing 22 and the drop wire 20 is fixed therein as by aset screw 20a. The insulating strip 28 is fixed upon the rear of theroll stand 12 upon a vertical portion 12a thereof as by screws 2801.

Upon the occurrence of a sliver run-out and the like, the drop wire 20tilts over to the side to which it is biased to close the contacts 23and 26 to close the circuit between the bus bars 25 and 27. Such closingof the circuit stops the roving frame motor and signals the cause of thestoppage as will be explained in detail below.

FIGURES 4 and 5 illustrate a modified form of the invention in whichlike parts are referred to by like reference characters with a primenotation added. The sensing means B include a horizontal bar 30 whichextends beneath several sliver strands S. The bar 30 is suspended ateach end from a drop wire 31 carried upon a pivoted shaft 21'. The shaft21' is also journaled within a housing 22' provided with suitable switchcontacts for closing the circuit between conductors 25 and 27.

A switch casing 22' is mounted upon standards 32 carried upon brackets33 suitably secured as by bolts 34 to each vertical standard 1211' ofthe roll stands 12'. Each bar 30 has outwardly projecting ends 30apositioning the bar 30 within loops 31a in the depending end of eachdrop wire 31. The conductors 25' and 27 are carried in tubular supports33 bridging the standards 32 above the switch casings 22'.

Thus a broken sliver 5 would move one of the drop wires 31 to dottedline position (FIGURE 4) and close movable contact 23 and fixed contact26 within one of the switch casings 22'. Since the bar 30 is looselymounted, only one of the switches need operate to complete a circuit toground. Thus the signal is given by a detector which normally has nocontact with the sliver thus avoiding damage to the sliver.

FIGURE 6 illustrates another modified form of the invention in whichlike parts are referred to by like reference characters with anadditional prime notation added. The sensing means B" includes anelongated bar 35, extending across several sliver strands S", havingupwardly extending arms 35a and 35b adjacent respective ends thereof.The arms 35a and 35b, serving as movable contacts 23", have pivotedmountings 36 carried upon fixed shafts 37. The shafts 37 are carriedupon standards 32' near the center of gravity of the bar 35 and arms 35aand 35b so that a falling end of sliver will cause the arms to pivot todotted line position to contact a fixed contact 26" in the form of a bar38 carried upon the upper portion of the standards 32' on brackets 39 tocomplete momentarily a circuit to ground.

FIGURE 7 illustrates another modified form of the invention in whichlike parts are referred to by like reference characters with anadditional prime notation added. The sensing means B includes anelongated bar 40 extending across several sliver strands S. The bar 40has downwardly projecting arms 40a and 40b. The arms 40a and 40b,serving as movable contacts 23", have pivoted mountings 41 carried uponfixed shafts 42. The shafts 42 are carried upon standards 32" near thecenter of gravity of the bar 40 and arms 40a and 40b so that a fallingsliver will cause the arms to pivot to dotted line position to contact abar 43, serving as a fixed contact 26, carried upon the lower portion ofthe standards 32" on brackets 44.

FIGURE 8 illustrates still another modified form of the invention andlike parts are indicated by like reference characters with an additionalprime notation added. The sensing means B"" includes an elongated bar 45suspended at each end from a flexible electrical conductor such aschains 46. The chains 46, serving as movable contacts 23"", are carriedby the upper portions of the standards 32" as at 47. Fixed electricalcontacts 26"" in the form of bars 48 are carried by the standards 32" soas to be contacted by the chains 46 when the bar is moved to dotted lineposition due to a falling end of sliver.

It is apparent that the various illustrations, in which the sensingmeans is mounted between the lifting roll and the strand processingsystem includes a bar, contemplate that the strands passing thereoversupply a plurality of strand deliveries, although the sensing meanswhich includes means suspending the bar for free independent movement ateach end is useful in any textile machine having a plurality of supplystrands passing over a lifting roll to a strand processing system.

Various electrical connections for operating the sliver run-out detectorare illustrated in the circuit diagram of FIGURE 9. When the movablecontact 23 of the detecting device B makes a temporary ground, the coil50 is connected across ground and the high potential side 51 of thetransformer, the primary 52 of the transformer being connected to L1 andL2 of a three phase power supply. When the coil 50 is thus energized,the core thereof operates to open the normally closed contacts 53 and toclose the normally open contacts 54 and 55. The contacts 53 thus openthe L1 side of the circuit to the coil 56 thus de-energizing the motorcausing the stoppage of same. The contacts 54 place the coil 50 acrossground and thus serve to lock the coil 50 until the circuit is reset aswill be described below. The contacts 55 complete the signal lightcircuit to ground thus energizing the light to signal a sliver runout.

When the coil 56 is energized, the contacts 57, 58, 59 and 60 are closedthereby. It will be noted that contacts 57, 58 and 59 provide the motorwith a three phase power supply. When the start button 61 is pressedinto engagement with the contacts 62, the coil 56 is placed across L1and L2 thus energizing the coil closing the contacts 57, 58 and 59. Thecontact 60 locks the coil across L1 and L2 thus maintaining the contacts57, 58 and 59 closed so as to energize the motor.

When the faulty end of sliver has been pieced up, the stop button 63 ispushed to disengage the contacts 64 thus temporarily breaking the L1connection to the primary 52 of the transformer. This results in theclosing of the contacts 53 and the opening of contacts 54 and 55,deenergizing the signal light. The circuit to the motor is then closedby pressing the start button 61. It should be noted that when the coil50 is energized power is still being supplied across the stop button 63to the L1 side of the primary 52 of the transformer.

FIGURE 10 illustrates a circuit for stopping the roving frame motorresponsive to a faulty roving signalled by the detector A, or a sliverrun-out signalled by the detector B. When the coil 65 is energized, thecontacts 66, 67, 68 and 69 are closed. The motor is energized throughcontacts 66, 67 and 68. The contacts 69 lock the coil 65 across L1 andL2. The L1 side of the transformer primary 70 and the L1 side of thecoil 71 is placed across the stop contacts 72. The coil 71 acts as atiming relay which, when energized holds the contact 74 away fromcontact 75 for a short predetermined time each time the motor isstarted. Thus detectors A and B cannot operate until the roving framehas run a predetermined few seconds thus allowing normal tension to beplaced upon the strands avoiding a false signal.

When the contacts 76 and 77 of the detector A close to make a temporaryground to the coil 78, the contacts 79, and 81 are actuated. Thecontacts 79 open L1 to the coil 65 which stops the motor. Contacts 80close ground to the coil 78 so as to lock it. The contacts 81 closeground to the signal light. The steady burning of the signal lightindicates that the signal was initiated by the detector A and hence thepresence of a faulty roving. It will be noted that electronic relays maybe employed with the detector A and B operating at low energy so thatthe contact made by A and B may be across high resistances such as maybe occasioned by lint accumulations.

To release the coil 78 preparatory to restarting the machine the stopbutton 82 is pushed. This temporarily breaks the L1 side of primary 70of the transformer and the L1 side of relay coil 71.

When the contacts 23 and 26 close a temporary ground to the coil 83 ismade placing the coil 83 across the high potential side 73 of thetransformer through the limit switch. The limit switch may be of thetype illustrated in United States Patent No. 2,658,326 and is openduring periods of reversal of the traversing carriage (not shown) of theroving frame to prevent de-energization of the motor during such periodsof reversal. This operates the contacts 84, 85 and 86. Contact 84 opensthe L1 side of coil 65 stopping the motor. The contact 85 closes groundto the coil 83 locking it. Contact 86 closes ground to the light throughflasher 87 so as to give a flashing signal. A start button 88 is alsoprovided to close the contacts 89 for energizing the coil 65 toreestablish the contacts to the motor after pressing the stop button 82to reset the circuit.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described usingspecific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, andit is to be understood that changes and variations may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A control system for a textile machine having motor driving means, asupply of moving strands for a plurality of deliveries being fed from asupply over a lifting roll to a drafting system, said strands being fedfrom the drafting system to packaging means including; first sensingmeans detecting faulty strands being fed from the drafting system;second sensing means moved by a faulty strand being fed to the draftingsystem detecting such faulty strands; said second sensing meansincluding; a bar disposed beneath a plurality of such strands resultingin a plurality of deliveries; switch means carried adjacent said bar;said bar being so mounted that its movement responsive to a strandfalling thereon results in actuation of the switch means; electricallyoperated means actuated by the first and second sensing means stoppingsaid motor driving means responsive to faulty strands being fed from thedrafting system and to the drafting system respectively; andelectrically operated signalling means actuated by the first and secondsensing means distinguishing between stoppage caused by faulty strandsbeing fed from the drafting system and to the drafting system; wherebystrand run out is avoided and the machine stopped promptly upon theoccurrence of a faulty strand whether on the supply side or the deliveryside of the drafting system.

2. A control system for textile machines having motor driving means, anda supply of moving strands being fed from a supply over a lifting rollto a drafting system including; a movable bar beneath the supply ofmoving strands closely adjacent thereto between the lifting roll and thedrafting system; said bar extending beneath a plurality of strands;means suspending the bar for free independent movement at each endthereof; switch means actuated by movement of the bar responsive tobroken and excessively slack supply strands falling thereon, andelectrically operated means actuated by said switch means stopping saidmotor upon such occurrence of broken and excessively slack supplystrands.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2, in which the movable bar isfreely supported adjacent each end for independent movement by dependingdrop wires; and a movable switch contact carrying at least one of saiddrop wires.

4. The structure set forth in claim 2, in which the movable bar issupported adjacent each end by a chain.

5. A control system for textile machines having motor driving means, anda supply of moving strands being fed from a supply over a lifting rolland the like to a strand processing system including; a movable barbeneath the supply of moving strands closely adjacent thereto betweenthe lifting roll and the strand processing system; said bar extendingbeneath a plurality of strands; flexible means suspending the bar forfree independent movement at each end thereof; switch means actuated bymovement of the bar responsive to broken and excessively slack supplystrands falling thereon, and electrically operated means actuated bysaid switch means stopping said motor upon such occurrence of broken andexcessively slack supply strands.

6. A control system for a textile machine having motor driving means, asupply of moving strands being fed from a supply over a lifting roll toa drafting system, said strands being fed from the drafting system topackaging means including; first sensing means detecting faulty strandsbeing fed from the drafting system; second sensing means moved by afaulty strand being fed to the drafting system detecting such faultystrands; said second sensing means including; a bar disposed beneath aplurality of such strands closely adjacent thereto between the liftingroll and the drafting system; switch means carried adjacent said bar;means suspending the bar for free independent movement at each endthereof responsive to a strand falling thereon resulting in actuation ofthe switch means; electrically operated means actuated by the first andsecond sensing means stopping said motor driving means responsive tofaulty strands being fed from the drafting system and to the draftingsystem respectively; and electrically operated signalling means actuatedby the first and second sensing means distinguishing between stoppagecaused by faulty strands being fed from the. drafting system and to thedrafting system; whereby strand run-out is avoided and the machinestopped promptly upon the occurrence of a faulty strand whether on thesupply side or the delivery side of the drafting system.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,007,643 Exley July 9, 1935 2,236,486 Boyd Mar. 25, 1941 2,636,223 DeSantis et a1 Apr. 28, 1953 2,662,251 Scott Dec. 15, 1953 2,704,430Harris Mar. 22, 1955 3,010,273 Bailey Nov. 28, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS327,850 Great Britain Apr. 17, 1930 790,849 Great Britain Feb. 19, 1958

1. A CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A TEXTILE MACHINE HAVING MOTOR DRIVING MEANS, ASUPPLY OF MOVING STRANDS FOR A PLURALITY OF DELIVERIES BEING FED FROM ASUPPLY OVER A LIFTING ROLL TO A DRAFTING SYSTEM, SAID STRANDS BEING FEDFROM THE DRAFTING SYSTEM TO PACKAGING MEANS INCLUDING; FIRST SENSINGMEANS DETECTING FAULTY STRANDS BEING FED FROM THE DRAFTING SYSTEM;SECOND SENSING MEANS MOVED BY A FAULTY STRAND BEING FED TO THE DRAFTINGSYSTEM DETECTING SUCH FAULTY STRANDS; SAID SECOND SENSING MEANSINCLUDING; A BAR DISPOSED BENEATH A PLURALITY OF SUCH STRANDS RESULTINGIN A PLURALITY OF DELIVERIES; SWITCH MEANS CARRIED ADJACENT SAID BAR;SAID BAR BEING SO MOUNTED THAT ITS MOVEMENT RESPONSIVE TO A STRANDFALLING THEREON RESULTS IN ACTUATION OF THE SWITCH MEANS; ELECTRICALLYOPERATED MEANS ACTUATED BY THE FIRST AND SECOND SENSING MEANS STOPPINGSAID MOTOR